Mechanism for varying the gap between the print hammers and the type font faces of a printer

Abstract

The present arrangement provides a housing means in and upon which are mounted at least the paper advance tractor assemblies including the drive means therefor and the print hammers of the printer. In addition the housing means is formed to have an eccentric shaft pass therethrough which eccentric shaft is formed and disposed to move the housing means toward and away from the type font faces of the printer. The eccentric shaft is engaged in a gear relationship with a drive means that acts to rotate the eccentric shaft which actions imparts linear motion to the housing means assembly.

We claim: 
     
       1. A mechanism for varying the gap between the print hammers and the type font faces of a printer wherein said type font faces lie in a first plane when in a position to be engaged with said print hammers, comprising in combination: a movable base member having a horizontal dimension, a depth dimension, and a vertical dimension, said movable base member formed to have a slot disposed along its horizontal dimension and extending the length thereof, said slot having first and second wall means, said movable base member disposed in a second plane so that its horizontal dimension lies parallel to said first plane and its depth dimension lies perpendicular to said first plane; paper advancing tractor means disposed upon said base member to hold a paper record upon which printing is to be effected; print hammer means, having hammer faces, mounted on said base member to lie opposite the type font faces of a printer and disposed to have said hammer faces lie in a third plane which is parallel to said first plane and further disposed to have a gap formed between said print hammers and said type font; eccentric shaft means located in said slot, said eccentric shaft means formed to push said wall means of said slot in response to a rotation thereof whereby said movable base member is pushed in said second plane alternatively in first and second directions along its depth dimension direction thereby causing said gap between said print hammers and said type font faces to be varied in first and second directions while holding said first and third planes in parallel; and rotation means secured to said eccentric shaft means to effect a rotation thereof. 
     
     
       2. A mechanism for varying the gap between the print hammers and the type font faces of a printer according to claim 1 wherein said rotation means includes a gear member secured to said eccentric shaft and further includes a worm gear member rotatably engaged with said gear member whereby when said worm gear member is rotated said gear member is rotated to rotate said eccentric shaft and whereby there is further included a shaft means connected to said worm gear member and disposed to lie substantially in the direction of the vertical dimension of said base member whereby a movement of said worm gear can be effected at a distance substantially away from said base member. 
     
     
       3. A mechanism for varying the gap between the print hammers and the type font faces of a printer according to claim 1 wherein said slot is formed to be somewhat larger than said eccentric shaft and wherein said second wall means is a flexure spring located in said slot and disposed to come in contact with said eccentric shaft and to act as one wall of said slot so that forces applied to said flexure spring by the rotation of said eccentric shaft are applied to said base member to effect a movement thereof.